Citation X 2.0 for FSX ..sooner than you think

     The Citation X 2.0 for FSX is well underway. There hasn't been a lot of update because I've ignored all else to tie myself to this chair, determined to get through what I dreaded most...striping the hundreds of parts of their material attributes and animations so that I may reinsert all of that data yet again, and to the tune of a different SDK. (SDK=The Microsoft rules to follow during development or it wont work in the simulation book.)

     I've now spent many a single full day simply experimenting with material settings to see which one would prove the perfect cocktail with that, 'dude..sweeeet' initial impression effect I'm looking for. I believe I've now nailed most of them down, especially those 'wow-wee' effects I'm getting with the environmentally dynamic glass and chrome.  Now, onward to more re---animating, then begins the process of getting the  XML code scripts inserted I'll need that will bring forth all of that Disney magic everyone likes to see in this package. I honestly believe she's looking better than she ever has, it certainly has come a long way since the first FS9 '04 release I spent almost two years on.

Stand by..

Farewell.. ACES Studio

It's been a cold winter... void of color and quite brutal. It's just got colder.

I'm completely at a loss of what to say about the recent news concerning the demise of our friends at ACES. There are announcements and confirmations and links everywhere, oh my. Here at Gamasutra you can read one of the reports that drives right in with the knife:

"Redmond, Washington-based ACES Studio, the Microsoft-owned internal group behind the venerable Microsoft Flight Simulator series, has been heavily affected by Microsoft's ongoing job cuts.
Development sources have told Gamasutra that a large portion of the dev house's staff has been let go - with multiple reports indicating that the entire Flight Simulator team has been axed."

Check Phil Taylor's blog here for more information and many other associated links. I could easily go on and on, groaning my own personal pains  of sorrow and utter disbelief but I shouldn't... it's already shared by everyone. So I'll remain optimistic and wait for them to come back. Meanwhile, Eaglesoft will still be here, doing what we do for FS9 and FSX. But our hearts go out to those who were let go and their families. I hope they will quickly recover somehow and that they well know the abundance of support out here for them. It was more than just a job to all of them. It was in their hearts and blood, expressed in their writings, their energy, and every single  one of their friendly, smiling faces.

Citation X 2.0 FS9 Goes Beta!

The Citation X 2.0 for FS9 is now officially in Beta. We will be addressing any issues that have not yet been found and finalizing fms data. We hope to shoot for a pre-Christmas release! Click here for our announcement and features list.

Citation X Winglets!

Shhhh, don't tell anybody they'll all be doing it!

Well, from what I've been seeing over the last few years around  KOSH, Sun N Fun, and most recently NBAA, the winglet invasion is well underway, I'll stick to the short version here. Well, the Citation X is no exception, I've been following it's [winglet] development since they first announced it early last year. Elliptical Winglets, which are designed to increase range and increase payload on high/hot departures, reduce drag, etc., are finding themselves on everything except helicopters.

Overall, the responses seem to be quite exciting from of the Citation X audience out there... with exception of the actual owners who would be looking to spend a proper penny for the retrofit. The 'wingleted' aircraft is still in testing therefore the actual performance numbers are not available anywhere, but they seem to be proving, however, quite impressive. So, maybe we should put some on our baby... and we did, and I picked up the tab for installation.

They look cool, adding an updated and sleeker appeal, and they take this already slippery bird up another notch. But what's really cool is that you can choose to have this winglet model, or fly the straight wing, based on how you configure your aircraft for passenger loadout etc., with our handy Preflight 'configurator' tool, before you take off.  That's ours below.

Our testing is done so I've since removed the forward probe, more photos  to soon follow, here's a short vid showing them in action. 

Citation X v 2.o  Video Updates

     Take a look over at Youtube and search 'Citation X', you'll find some new little clips I threw together there as we get closer to Beta. Nothing fancy, but if you view the high quality video option, it gives you a better idea on how things are going.   

X-treme Makeover Update

     Well it's been a little while and by looking at the hits coming in, it's time for an update. I've been working closely with Ed Wilson and Bill Leaming over the past several weeks as we continue moving forward with the development of the FS9 Citation X v2.0.

 I must admit, working on the VC gauge polygon placement and operation for this particular aircraft has proven to be my greatest challenge to date in regard to the VC. Not so much in the scope of difficulty, but more so in the realm of endurance. In a nutshell, (and without sounding ridiculously technical), the V1.0 CitationX gauge polys, (those polygons put in place to display the aircraft's gauges), topped out at a staggering 7 polygons, with three Vcockpits entries. At last count, I believe I finished up with a brain numbing count of around 190 gauge polygons for the V2.0, but still  only three Vcockpit entries. The 'eyes pressed into the monitor- with the tiniest mouse movements' that was required for the precise placement of the gauges during this process left me now as the next Lasik eye patient once we release it.  Each of these additional polygons had to be made from scratch, mapped to it's gauge textures, and told what to do via the added  MakeMDLparts.xml script provided by Bill Leaming. Obviously I didn't get to that brick paver walkway on the side of the house I was supposed to have finished that weekend. I've also put into place the ability for those who have their own yokes at home to be able to hide our yokes in the VC, thereby revealing the panels for easy VC operation and accessibility.    Ed Wilson's determination and commitment of 2 years to create an accurate simulation of the real world aircraft not only demands his brilliant gauge programming, but also the ability to work in harmony with the gauge polygons, and it truly shows his heart in every bit.  Bottom line, an incredibly realistic Citation X cockpit simulation of the real aircraft's systems and their operation. In other words, if you are not a Citation X pilot or, if you don't read the manual... you most likely won't even get the engines running. I couldn't anyway. The FMS is especially fun, my first real [simulated] experience with one. Setting it up and keeping an eye on it before, and during, a flight offers plenty to do while observing the huge amount of information being displayed. It ties in with the other gauges beautifully and I felt it truly added a whole new level to the simulator experience. The frame rates are excellent, but there will be more writing [proof] on that later.

The V2.0 is getting everything I've always felt it deserved. Sharp exterior remapped textures with a full fuselage paint kit, preflight setup gauge, completely interactive (clickable) Virtual Cockpit and Cabin with Airshow, improved flight dynamics, pulse light system, crisp Virtual cockpit textures with amazing eye popping gauges which control each of their systems as on the real aircraft.

The big picture of development right now is I'm working on the little tweaks, we have everything operational, now its time to make it all look pretty. Ed has some horrible head banging  programming to do yet, but he can work quite swift when he wants to put his foot into the floor so stay tuned here and over at the Eaglesoftdg.com forums as well.

EAA AirVenture 2008!

                                                                                                                      Well, some are yet to be on their way while some are already there. My colleagues Ron and Owen, our Microsoft friends, MVP's, aviation enthusiasts, fans and kids alike... ugh, and here I sit... stuck in Florida.

It's time again for EAA's AirVenture in OshKosh. It's big and beautiful and I'm missing out.... I was this close! Unable to locate a 'fill in' during my absence at my other job left me back at the rear holding down the fort.

The good news is there will be a lot of reporting going on from our reliable friends on the front lines. Check out Mike's article here on how you can make a 'virtual visit' to OshKosh. Hal is getting creative with a unique cell phone photo perspective on his travels here. Owen is a man on the ball and will keep you informed at his blog. How about a live ATC feed of the controllers at KOSH. There's going to be a lot of exciting things going on this year so be sure to tune in and follow the fun!

FS9 Citation X 2.0 Update

     Well I've been slaving away the past several weeks on the Citation X, in between renovating our kitchen, and I'm happy to report that I'm nearing that light at the end of the tunnel in regard to the work required by me on this project. Soon I'll be mapping gauges to the Virtual Cockpit, getting various parts to process display conditions with XML, insert animations, then general clean up. She has an updated fresh and clean look now with less polys, less texture files, yet greater overall detail and performance.

Owen's back at the big house. 

Be sure to keep an eye on Owen's blog, he's just attended the 2008 MVP Global Summit in Redmond. I'm sure he'll have a fountain of information, photos, stories, and maybe even some inside scoop once he gets back!

Sun N Fun 08!

  We have been pretty lucky over the last few years during the Sun N Fun Fly-in over in Lakeland. The weather has been just terrific. Last year was pretty dry, trails of dust behind cars out in the huge pasture parking lots.. but the temperature was good. This year the ground was still fairly moist after several days of steady rain, but the temperature was again wonderful, followed by gentle breezes.

I had gotten inside the gates about a half hour before Ron, (Eaglesoft Development Group) and Stasi, (Mindstar Aviation) spotted me over by the Liberty Aerospace display. They were walking up sporting bags, cameras, and  big smiles on their faces obviously happy to be back in aviation toy land again.

All the big boys were there again this year and plenty of new guys on the block. The most prominent letters this year were VLJ and LSA, and the manufacturers brought their bright ideas with them and put them on display to show the weren't playing around. It seemed around every corner were Aspen Avionics with their oh-so-cool glass gauges. Virtually plug and play, they drop right into the existing panel holes that house the steam gauge six-pack, and are surprisingly affordable.

Ron and Stasi check out the Aspen PFD in the new Liberty. It's not a really really small plane, Stasi is just a big guy!

We had to drop by for a few pics of the FKA Columbia 400 which is now known as the Cessna 400 and 350. It was a little strange seeing the logo on the tail after spending so much time working on the FS Columbia 400 project.

Heading over to the Eclipse display you never know what they've brought with them. In case you missed it at Air Venture, Check out the 'Concept Jet' V-tail single VLJ. Aerodynamic design has been left to George Lucas.

Yes, it flies, and it looks like drag would not be an issue. 

You know, we left dial phones and dial modems in pursuit of greater technology, but apparently a dial up throttle isn't necessarily a step back.

Right next door to Eclipse sat Cirrus, taking up a huge chunk of real estate alongside their trademark Cirrus semi truck. There were three nice things to enjoy there;

What? A Light sport? How did I miss that? Ron gets a shot of the panel there, and a nice panel it is.

Over the left wing of the sport I saw something perched on a pedestal that looked a lot like an Eclipse Concept Jet;

I like the placement and design around the engine area, and with a larger fuselage it gains an extra window.

Lastly lets pay our respects to the ever growing great one;

Cirrus Generation 3 turbo GTSX.... mommy.

Ron, Stasi and I stopping is to visit Russ over at Piper.

We dropped in over at Diamond which is my personal favorite, these folks make a nice airplane. We met some very interesting people in the pavilion  as well as met with many of the representatives concerning our upcoming projects.

The DA-42 Twin Star. One has to simply appreciate the thought put into the use of space, ease of entry/exit, visibility and just darn good looking.

The Da-50.. be still my heart...moon lighting in the cabin ceiling. 

Stasi and I got a kick out of this Superstar!

Time flies like everything else around here and it was time to head back to reality. A visit to the AOPA tent, FLYING Magazine store, and a smoking hot corn dog on the way out. Those beautiful planes continue to fly overhead as we say our goodbyes, until next year.

       This upgrade has been a good experience and everything has gone surprisingly well in the setup, installation, and customization needed to bring it back as the hub of research, design, development and communication for the biz. A nice ASUS M2N-SLI carries two 'SLI'd' Nvidia 8800 GT graphics cards like saddlebags on a Harley. At the helm, AMD provides the dual core 64 5000's alongside four, 'gig-a-piece', sticks of the good ram...oh the fun to be had. Vista looks great and is appropiately named. I'm surprised how much of the fairly new hardware/software doesn't have, or won't be, providing any Vista updates and suggest you rely on Vista's drivers without new software. I.E. the photo toolbox software disc for my HP photosmart printer is not compatible with Vista so it operates on the basic driver. A visit to HP downloads page finds a notice that there are no plans for them to update the software. Thanks god 3DS Max8 loaded up and seems to work fine though. I've still got alot to do and look forward to posting some nice screens soon.

Ah, FSX has never looked so good.

It's that time again, we're getting ready for the Sun N Fun fly-in 2007 over here in Lakeland Florida. I'll most likely spend at least two days out there wandering about mindlessly, overwhelmed by beautiful aircraft, aviation gadgetry, and corn dogs. Ron (Eaglesoft) and Stasi  (Mindstar Aviation), look to be dropping in on the 10th of April. We'll be driving in because it seems until Florida gets it's tax ax sharpened up, flying in could bring on a hefty cost, READ THIS story and get involved.